Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
Kurzgesagt is a Munich-based animation studio making illustrated science stories about space, biology, technology and the questions that shape human life.
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Latest
Kurzgesagt’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus their backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
- Fracking explained: opportunity or danger2013 · First viral video
YouTube - Optimistic Nihilism2017 · Animated philosophy essay
YouTube - The Egg - A Short Story2019 · Animation of Andy Weir’s story
YouTube - The Coronavirus Explained & What You Should Do2020 · Animated science explainer
YouTube - Immune2021 · Book by founder Philipp Dettmer
Random House - Star Birds2025 · Game collaboration and co-publisher
Steam
Overview
- Started
- 2013, as a university passion project
- Based
- Munich, Germany
- Founder
- Philipp Dettmer
- Breakout
- Fracking explained: opportunity or danger
- English voice
- Steve Taylor
- Original music
- Epic Mountain
Mini bio
How it started.
Philipp Dettmer founded Kurzgesagt in 2013 after studying communications design in Munich. Its first evolution video began as a university project. The studio identifies its fracking explainer as its first viral hit.
The voice and the craft.
Steve Taylor narrates the English videos, while Epic Mountain composes their soundtracks. The studio describes a process built around research papers, expert consultation and public source sheets before scripts become colorful illustrations and animation.
Beyond the videos.
The same curiosity runs through the team’s other work. Dettmer’s book Immune arrived in November 2021. In September 2025, Kurzgesagt and Toukana Interactive brought Star Birds to Steam Early Access, turning the studio’s birds into a crew of asteroid miners.
Creditschronological, newest first
Games
- 2025Star BirdsCreative collaboration with Toukana Interactive; co-publisher
Books
- 2021Immune: A Journey Into the Mysterious System That Keeps You AliveWritten by founder Philipp Dettmer
Animation
- 2020The Coronavirus Explained & What You Should DoAnimated science explainer
- 2019The Egg - A Short StoryAnimation of Andy Weir’s story
- 2017Optimistic NihilismAnimated philosophy essay
- 2013Fracking explained: opportunity or dangerAnimated explainer; first viral video
Awards
Quotes
Our vision is to spark curiosity and encourage a science-based, humanist and optimistic worldview.Kurzgesagt, official studio website
The studio’s published statement of its vision.
Trivia
- Kurzgesagt is German for “in a nutshell.”
- The first Human Era Calendar was made for the year 12,017.
- The Egg took more than two years to make, according to its video description.
- The team gives every video its own specially composed Epic Mountain soundtrack.
Find Kurzgesagt
Follow the team for new videos, science stories and studio updates.
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